Robert Lewis, a tenor and alumnus of Guildhall School's Vocal and Opera Studies, has won the prestigious Birgit Nilsson Prize at Operalia, The World Opera Competition. The competition, founded in 1993 by Plácido Domingo, is an annual international event for talented emerging artists from around the globe and has helped launch the careers of many celebrated opera singers.
Lewis progressed through the quarter-finals and semi-finals to reach the final, which took place in Shanghai. He secured the male winner's Birgit Nilsson Prize, valued at $15,000, for his interpretations of arias by Richard Strauss and Richard Wagner.
This success marks the beginning of a busy season for the tenor, with upcoming appearances scheduled at venues including Opéra national de Lyon, Opéra national du Rhin, Opéra national de Lorraine, Théâtre Luxembourg, Longborough Festival Opera, and Bayerische Staatsoper. It follows his receipt of the Plácido Domingo Prize at the Tenor Viñas International Singing Contest in 2025.
Lewis studied at Guildhall School from 2014, completing his Bachelor of Music programme before undertaking a Master of Music in Performance in Opera Studies, graduating in 2020. Post-graduation, he was named a Jerwood Artist at Glyndebourne Festival and joined the Opéra national de Lyon Studio.
